Corrective Action Plan: The University is committed to ensuring compliance with all federal, institutional, and program regulations. The University continues to enhance its internal controls, policies, and procedures to ensure the appropriate documentation to support is maintained, and to ensure tha...
Corrective Action Plan: The University is committed to ensuring compliance with all federal, institutional, and program regulations. The University continues to enhance its internal controls, policies, and procedures to ensure the appropriate documentation to support is maintained, and to ensure that level of effort is appropriately documented and reported. To this end the University enlisted the support of Moore & Van Allen and associates law firm to support in developing enhanced policies, procedures, and training modules to support an increased level of compliance support. Moore & Van Allen is a wellrespected international law firm that specializes in reporting compliance and compliance training.To address the specific audit concerns Moore & Van Allen in conjunction with the JCSU executive cabinet, Government Sponsored Programs, the President and Board of Trustees to develop these policies, supporting procedures and training modules. These policies have been approved as of the January 15, 2026 Board of Trustees meeting: Time and Effort Reporting Policy, Government- Sponsored Equipment and Property Management Policy, Post-Award Management Policy, Grant Records Management Policy and Revised Extra Compensation for Faculty and Staff Policy. The level of effort reporting process has been modified to a consistent reporting for all campus awards. Level of effort reports are done by academic term, and the reports are due within 60 days following the end of the term. The Office of Government Sponsored Programs (“GSPAR”) has implemented monitoring and tracking measures to all reports are captured and completed according to federal guidelines. A system of multiple reviews has been implemented to help in reducing errors in reporting and increase efficiency in timeliness of the reports. Additionally, GSPAR intends to work closely with the Human Resources division to ensure accurate and efficient Time and Effort reporting. To address this concern, the Payroll unit has been reorganized into the Business and Finance Office to streamline communication and time and effort report fidelity between Payroll and GSPAR. In addition, the University mandated participation in compliance training for all faculty and staff; participants are required to submit an acknowledgment that they participated in the training and are aware of the compliance requirements. The mandatory training will occur annually for the university and all new grant award recipients will receive this training as part of their grant startup process. All GSPAR employees will also participate in training related to time and effort and allowable costs compliance, annually. Specific to the TRIO programs, as the result of a re-organization in February 2025 the University created a new position: Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Student Affairs, TRIO, and Well-being. This role will oversee Time and Effort Reporting, Annual Performance Report submissions, and financial transactions, ensuring accuracy and adherence to all relevant policies, regulations, and procedures. Additionally, this position will support professional development initiatives to enhance grant management and compliance. The AVP will also support university efforts to conduct regular program reviews to ensure proper documentation supporting TRIO eligibility and adherence to program requirements. To improve program knowledge and standardize practices, TRIO personnel will continue engaging in professional development offered locally and nationally. Internally, the TRIO Leadership Team (TRIO Project Directors and SVP of Student Enrollment & Retention Management) established TRIO Professional Development Day, a two-day training designed specifically for JCSU TRIO staff. These sessions provide guidance on university policies, financial compliance, Time and Effort reporting, effective record-keeping, and data management. The event also includes a roundtable discussion to promote collaboration and shared learning across programs. In addition, the TRIO Leadership Team will continue to explore best practices from high-functioning TRIO programs. To enhance communication and strengthen internal controls, the TRIO Leadership Team implemented monthly TRIO Program meetings. These meetings, involving TRIO Project Directors and the Senior Vice President of Strategic Enrollment and Retention Management, facilitate discussions on compliance, streamline processes, and support policy development. Additionally, the TRIO Leadership Team established monthly interdepartmental meetings among TRIO programs, the Division of Government Sponsored Programs and Research, and the Division of Business and Finance to further ensure alignment with institutional and federal requirements. Human Resources will also participate in future meetings to review Time and Effort Reporting procedures. TRIO Project Directors maintain ongoing communication with the Department of Education Program Officer, seeking written guidance on allowable costs, staffing adjustments, and fund reallocations, when necessary. Continuous monitoring and evaluation will ensure the effectiveness of these corrective actions, allowing the university to identify areas for ongoing improvement and maintain full compliance with all regulatory requirements Anticipated Completion Date: December 2026